Preparation of NADH/NADPH using cetyltrimethylammonium bromide permeabilized baker's yeast cells

Alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH) activities of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide permeabilized baker's yeast whole cells were employed to prepare reduced nicotinamide nucleotides NADH and NADPH from their corresponding oxidised forms. Both NADH and NADPH were found to be stable in the presence of permeabilized cells under the conditions of preparation. No dephosphorylation of NADP+ to NAD+ or of NADPH to NADH was found. Reduction is complete and the prepared NADH and NADPH are chromatographically pure. Since readily available Baker's yeast cells were used instead of expensive isolated enzyme the method described here is simple, economical, and easy to scale up.